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  1. #1
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    Keeping feet warm?

    I wasn't sure where to throw this thread, so I figured the general forum would be alright.

    In any event, my question is regarding keeping my feet warmer at night.

    I got a Hammock Gear Incubator underquilt a little over a week ago (20deg rating with their most overstuffing they offer). I have to say it works out GREAT as best I can tell. My top insulation is a 0deg The North Face Superlite sleeping bag. The sleeping bag has been my staple cold weather bag for a few years and has always served me well.

    My hammock hanging started maybe 2 years ago, so I am still relatively new to the game.

    That having been said, until last weekend I used pads as bottom insulation and knew from the get-go that I had to do something different. Last weekend and this weekend I put my new system to the test. The first night last weekend (over a 2 day backpacking trip) the temps got to the mid to low 30's at night, with a LOT of wind. Generally speaking I was quite warm at night, except for my feet. When I got up in the morning (didn't bother crawling out except when I had to go to the bathroom at around 1:00am) I inspected my set up to see if I could reason why my feet were cold. It appeared the underquilt was a bit too far towards my head end and it skipped the foot box on my Blackbird hammock. So I kept this in mind for this weekend.

    Friday night I set up the hammock, camping trip so no hiking this weekend, and when I set the underquilt I paid close attention to how it fit the hammock - ensuring that the entire foot box was enclosed. I moved the underquilt so it was covering what I wanted.

    That night my feet also got cold. I will throw in the fact that when its cold I wear two pairs of socks (last weekend and this weekend I doubled up on the socks). I also noted where my "heat line" was on my legs. About half way down my calves is where the heat stopped. I have no rhyme or reason as to why. I had a pair of jeans hanging from the ridge line in the hammock and I noted that when I pushed against the jeans and lost some loft in the sleeping bag that is where I had a cold spot. But I still can't reason why the bottom section of my sleeping bag was cold - other than that is the furthest extremity from my core.

    So last night I grabbed some of my buddy's hand warmers and I stacked them in between my two sock layers. One on top of my toes and the other below. This seemed to help a bunch - I didn't have nearly as cold of feet.

    My question for the group is that I feel confident in that my insulation is adequate for the kind of camping I have done, but what techniques or tricks are there that you have found to help with cold feet?

    For as warm as my core was (even worked up a bit of a sweat) I just can't see having inadequate insulation. I am a cold sleeper so I'd much rather be too warm and have to unzip than to not be able to get warm.

    Temps this weekend were in the mid teens, so about 20 degrees less than the previous weekend.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    Down booties work well. Hot water bottle in between your feet is another thing that helps.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  3. #3
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    I fought this for a long time. Last outing I took my jacket and put it under my legs and on top of my leg pad. Made all the difference...

    Cold legs = cold feet...
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  4. #4
    New Member Monday's Avatar
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    Socks too tight? Or possibly feet elevated too high? These effect circulation and can make them cold even if they are insulated. I just wore one pair of socks and had no problem but I have had trouble with two before. Idk really, but it's something to check.
    Monday

    "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

  5. #5
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Why not just pop a small footpad down there until you figure out why they are getting cold. I use a Thermarest SitPad but a piece of CCF would do as well.
    Maybe some sort of gap in there letting in the wind. Also....I always put my parka over my hammock footbox at night as I am not wearing it.
    Carry Forth.....
    Shug

    Got a couple of requests to drop in and re-visit the world of hammock under-quilts. They can be a bit daunting for new users.....
    This is just my experience with them.
    *Look at full length and 1/2 underquilts.
    *How to hang them on the hammock. Including covering the footbox area on a Warbonnet BlackBird hammock.
    *Fixed and channel suspension
    *See my UQ collection
    *How to adjust it from the hammock
    *The use of a pad in the foot area when using a 1/2 UQ.
    *Blast-Off)))))
    *Some final thoughts.....
    **BONUS......Sling Blade Theater....Karl meets Doyle...pardon my self-indulgent ways))))





    Jacket around Footbox
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  6. #6
    New Member Monday's Avatar
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    Also, I've seen Shug (I think) put a down coat around the foot end and stuff the sleeves in the neck opening and zip it up around the hammock.
    Monday

    "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

  7. #7
    New Member Monday's Avatar
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    Wow he posted that right when I said that
    Monday

    "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

  8. #8
    Senior Member Mountnman's Avatar
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    I use the Shug coat around the foot box and I always put on dry socks, if you have damp socks at all even if you put another pair over them, at least for me, my feet will chill. So I always pack a pair of dry socks for sleeping in. Also make sure your feet are not too high could be a circulation issue, I had that problem when I first started head end to low and I would slide down and feet went up a bit too high and did not get good circulation to feet. And cold feet I had
    "I love not man the less, but Nature more."
    Byron

  9. #9
    Senior Member brushybill's Avatar
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    i have found that on my blackbird i have to rig the uq so that the suspension on the footbox side is wrapped over and around the gathered end of the hammock, essentially holding the uq in place around the foot box, otherwise i am constantly waking up to adjust the quilt .
    this basically orients the quilt on the diagonal, and allows it to cover the footbox .
    hope this makes sense

  10. #10
    Senior Member MT's Avatar
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    One other suggestion may be that you have too many socks on your feet. If your feet get even a little sweaty, then they can become cold. I have had this happen to me in the past.

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